Disruption is, at its core, a really powerful idea, but everyone hijacks the idea to do whatever they want now.
Clayton Christensen – Author
COVID is eating millennials. Millennials are the largest demographic segment in the U.S. and in many countries. This population cohort includes VUCANs born between 1980 and 2000. In the U.S., there are 75 million millennials. Median job tenure of workers ages 20 to 24 is less than 16 months. Many are anxious and angry since COVID displaced many of their jobs.
Life and work was tough for the millennial generation pre COVID. In the U.S., they are saddled with college debt, about a 1/3 live at home, are reluctant to marry, and can’t afford to purchase a home. The School of Life captures millennial life angst in the U.K and U.S.:
“All of us worry to some degree. But for many, the worry is constant and all-consuming. We don’t just worry about the gas bill, or the bin schedule. We worry that our friends secretly hate us; that we’ll be abruptly fired from our jobs; that our partners are planning on leaving us for good. Catastrophe is not a remote possibility but an inevitability – a matter of when, not if.”[i]
Millennial work angst is just as high. Wall Street Journal offered this perspective on college grads in 2019:
“Gone are the days when new hires spent years learning the ropes before being handed important work. Today’s graduates will be expected to jump right in.”[ii] And, if they don’t stay on the job, bosses don’t want to coach or mentor new talent.[iii]
Work Lesson Earned: Are the above descriptions real for millennials and most workers? Or, is it projection? Millennial workers globally seem anxious, angry, and resentful. This is a worldwide phenomenon where many VUCANs have invested in education thinking that it was the meal ticket to the good life. These expectations have not been met for large swathes of today’s workers. This global phenomenon has instilled stark fear and panic into the world’s plutocrats, 1-percenters, oligarchs, and haves. Many believe that socialism, social disruption, and class war may result because of disparities in income and lack of opportunities. What do you think?
[i] ‘The Real Reason You’re Anxious’, School of Life, May 10, 2019.
[ii] ‘Class of 2019: Into the Fray,’ Wall Street Journal, May 11, 2019.
[iii] ‘A Millennial’s Field Guide to Mastering Your Career’, Fortune Magazine, January 4, 2016.